Former UCF QB Dillon Gabriel is an ideal transfer target for Texas

There’s bound to be a lot of attrition ahead for new head coach Steve Sarkisian and Texas Soccer program toward the next season, largely through the NCAA Transfer Portal. Sark spoke out this month about a number of potential roster changes on the horizon heading into next season.

We’ve got a couple of former Longhorns players already in the transfer portal. And it was only recently that the first notable former Longhorns player found his next home from the transfer portal, with former elite five-star recruit and junior safety Tyler Owens landing at Texas Tech Red Raiders this week.

One particular position that Sark and the Longhorns will likely look at early and often in the transfer portal is in midfield. And perhaps the best quarterback to appear in the transfer window so far is on November 27.

Former UCF Knights star and three-star recruitment under control Dillon Gabriel announced on his Twitter timeline in the early afternoon of November 27 that he will put his name in the transfer portal at the start of the season. The young star UCF defender spent three years playing for the Knights but was injured for most of the 2021 campaign.

Gabriel has played just three games for UCF this fall, which could be his last with the program under former Auburn Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn.

Texas football should seriously consider the idea of ​​pursuing UCF QB transfer Dillon Gabriel

A midfield quartet of this caliber appearing in the transfer window could be just what Sark and the Longhorns need. Gabriel is a proven player in midfield, one of the best at Group Five level going into this season.

During his three years with UCF, Gabriel scored over 8,000 passes, 70 touchdowns, just 14 interceptions, a completion rate of 60.7, 9.8 yards adjusted for each pass attempt and passing efficiency index 156.9. He was also one of the most effective full-backs in the Group of Five last season.

The 6-foot-tall and 200-pound Gabriel has big arms, deep dribbling, and decent mobility for a pro-style midfielder. He registered over 370 yards of dash and eight rush touchdowns during his time at UCF.

Gabriel was also one of the highest scoring defenders in the country last season.

So the really important question here is how does Sark feel about the potential match between Gabriel and the Longhorns?

Also, if Gabriel isn’t interested in landing in Texas, the aforementioned question doesn’t even matter. But the immediate competitiveness for the starting slot and having a capable supporting cast in attack-minded skill positions like Sark seems like a hard-to-miss opportunity for Gabriel.

He will likely play alongside stars like running sophomore Bijan Robinson, junior Roschon Johnson, redshirt sophomore Keilan Robinson, freshman Xavier Worthy, redshirt sophomore Jordan Whittington , etc. towards next season. That would be a pretty strong team if Sark can make that happen with the Longhorns.

Existing Texas Redshirt Junior Casey Thompson and sophomore Hudson Card as two quarterbacks have dropped it for work starting this fall. But landing Gabriel could change the entire midfield landscape in the Big 12 next season should he go to Forty Acres.